Page 46 of Poet & Protector

The song ended while he was getting the drinks and I heard Nev speak into the microphone.

“We’re taking a short break, folks, but we’ll be back in fifteen.”

I groaned inwardly. Of course I had to pick the song right before the set break to leave the safety of my table. Hopefully Nev would stay on the stage fiddling with his instruments and I’d be in no danger of being spotted.

The bartender returned with two uncapped glass bottles of Coke.

“On the house,” he told me.

“Thanks,” I said, offering him a smile.

Now all I had to do was make it back to my seat in the safety of the shadows.

“Mason?”

I would have recognized that voice anywhere. It didn’t belong to Nev.

Damn it. Why did I leave the table?

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the bottles and turned to face Renier Laroche.

He stared at me in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m not here,” I said. “Let’s go with that instead.”

I tried to walk away, hoping he would let it go and decide a Nightshade wasn’t worth his time, whatever my reason for being at the Burnout. It was a long shot, but maybe it would work? It wasn’t like my pack never came to the bar, and he rarely showed interest in any of us besides Calla.

Ren snagged my arm and reeled me back to him.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re here,” he replied, unimpressed. “Are you alone?”

Right. He wants to know if Calla is here.

The two alphas couldn’t be in the same vicinity without posturing for each other. It got kind of annoying.

I made the mistake of glancing at our table and, just my luck, Ansel was staring at me and Ren, a petrified expression on his face. I glanced at Ren, waiting as the alpha scanned the room. When he realized only Ansel and I were in the bar, he growled.

“What the fuck, Mason?” Ren squared his shoulders. “All right, let’s go.”

I didn’t have any choice but to let him steer me back to the table.

“Have a seat,” Ren ordered.

I returned to my chair. Ren wasn’t my alpha, but he was still an alpha. You couldn’t ignore them. Ansel remained frozen, like an opossum that had been startled into playing dead.

Ren lowered himself into an empty seat and glowered at the two of us.

“Explain.”

“We have every right to be here.” I bristled in the face of his arrogance. “Or have the Banes decided this place is off limits to Nightshades?”

Ren wasn’t having it. “Without your alpha you shouldn’t be able to get in.”

It was true. Calla and Ren were the only reason the younger wolves could gain entrance to the bar. They radiated power even the toughest bouncer couldn’t ignore. That was the only reason a bunch of teenagers could walk through the door without being carded.

“Lose the attitude, and tell me why you’re here,” Ren said. “Now.”

“We’re here for the music,” I answered irritably. “I found out Nev was playing when we were working on our class project. That’s all.”